Fall-Winter 2013-2014

Y ou might expect a pharmacy to pitch itself as having the best prices in town, short waiting times, and courteous service. But maybe you wouldn’t expect a pharmacy to append to those selling points the motto, “Your Pro-Life Pharmacy.” The owners of David’s Pharmacy in Tampa, Fla., leave no guessing as to their priorities. Step into their business onWest Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd., and one of the first things you’ll see is a large image of Jesus, the Merciful Savior. Further inside are pro-life posters. David Cartaya and his wife, Carmen — married 43 years and members of Friends of Mercy — have been in the pharmacy business since 1975. “Pharmacies around us have come and gone,” says Carmen, “but you come to David’s Pharmacy, and there we stand: a witness to Christ and His mercy!” Carmen took time recently to speak with us about faith and pharmaceuticals. How did your decision to stop selling contraceptives come about? When we opened the pharmacy, we sold birth control pills. Then, God sent a lady who told us, “Do you know that birth control pills are abortifacients?” This was in the early 1980s. We had to make a decision. We had multiple financial responsibilities, including caring for three young sons in Catholic schools. We pulled all the birth control off the shelves. The results: No one beats God in generosity. God and Our Blessed Mother Mary made our three sons pro-life Roman Catholic physicians! Did you encounter any opposition? Yes, sir. A salesman from a wholesaler told me to my face, “Not only are you going to lose customers, you will lose their families as well!” I responded, “I’d rather lose everything and not lose my soul.” Pro-abortion women came in and threw our literature all over one aisle. Can you give us an example of how God assures you that you are doing the right thing? Years after we stopped providing contracep- tives, a well-dressed and well-educated young woman wanted to see me. She was holding a baby boy. She said months ago she became pregnant. She wanted to keep the baby, but her friends were encouraging her to have an abor- tion. The woman told me, “Then I found myself in front of your [pro-life pharmacy]. I thought, ‘There is someone else who does not think I am crazy.’ I came to show you the baby!” See, it is God and His Blessed Mother doing all the work. We give the little we have; they supply the rest. Over-the-counter Mercy M ary K ay V olpone Now, this is a family-friendly pharmacy in Tampa, Fla. by Felix Carroll Carmen and David work behind the counter of their pharmacy to share the message of Divine Mercy. Join Read more inspirational stories like this in the monthly newsletter. You can join online a t thedivinemercy.org/friends o r call 1-800-671-2020.